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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Has my toddler got too much belly?

17 replies

sweetiepie1979 · 09/12/2012 22:02

My Little girl is 17 and half months. She's always been cute chubby but today I noticed lots of her t.shirts not fitting her or looking rather tight over her tummy which is quite big. People lately have pointed it out but in a sweet look at her little tummy sort of way. I had lunch with some friends today who said they thought their little one same age was getting a bit porky and they were going to take her off full creamed to semi skimmed milk. My question is, is that what you do? Can you have overweight toddlers? Could my little one be overweight? No idea what she weighs. But she does have a big tummy.

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wannabedomesticgoddess · 09/12/2012 22:04

All toddlers have big tummies. Please dont think shes fat or put her on a diet! :)

fizzyone · 09/12/2012 22:07

My daughter had a really (almost comical) protruding belly at that age... now at nearly 4, I'd say she is on the lean side without any intervention from me; I wouldn't worry about it

plantsitter · 09/12/2012 22:08

No don't worry! I know some size 2yrs tops we had for my 2 didn't fit over the tummy when they were 18mo, but did when they were a bit older - they pull out.

Sirzy · 09/12/2012 22:11

As long as your not over feeding her then don't worry about it. It is normal for little ones to carry a bit of a "podge"

ShhhhhGoBackToSleep · 09/12/2012 22:12

Toddlers often have a bit of a belly - apparently they have lots of insides in proportion to their height, so get a little pot belly to keep it in! You can tell if it is tummy or fat.

Original poster

sweetiepie1979 · 09/12/2012 22:28

That's what I was thinking everyone. Thanks. So what do you think of this full creamed to semi arrangement, is that daft?

OP posts:

KateShmate · 09/12/2012 22:31

All 5 of my girls went through a 'pot belly' stage, tbh I think it's quite cute!
My eldest 2 are 5YO and 6YO and have amazingly flat stomachs now, so it clearly doesn't last.

Personally I think your friend and the whole 'diet' thing is utterly ridiculous.

milkjetmum · 09/12/2012 22:36

Don't switch to semi! The vitamins in milk are fat-soluble, so it may be lower fat but it is also significantly less nutritious for growing children.

milkjetmum · 09/12/2012 22:36

Don't switch to semi! The vitamins in milk are fat-soluble, so it may be lower fat but it is also significantly less nutritious for growing children.

HipposGoBerserk · 09/12/2012 22:36

I had a massive belly as a toddler, as does dd now. I have been told that it's because childrens internal organs are large in comparison to the rest of their b odies, as the organs don't grow as much. I just grew to be a lot taller than my peers with flat toddler tums. Dd seems set to be tall too. I have had to buy tops in age groups much olde than her actual age since birth, so aged three she wears age 6-7. She isn't overweight, height is 98% and weight 78%. Children's clothing sizes don't seem to hVe much relation to their actual age IMO .

Try not to give her a complex about it, ask your health visitor maybe if you are still concerned?

BertieBotts · 09/12/2012 22:42

Yes your friends are being daft!

It's okay to switch to semi skimmed milk when they're two if you want to, but there's no need to - fat is good for developing brains :) Before 2 the recommendation is to stick to full fat.

I switched DS to semi skimmed at two just because I don't like full fat and was fed up of buying a pint just for it to go off (as he was breastfed).

Original poster

sweetiepie1979 · 09/12/2012 22:43

Ok thanks everybody x

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 09/12/2012 22:45

In fact I think it's pretty sad that people want to put their 2 year old on a diet :( (exceptional obesity cases excepted of course, but I think they're pretty rare?)

Maybe you could mention it to them next time you see them, say that your HV happened to mention it was fill fat until 2 or something?

mercibucket · 09/12/2012 22:51

Have you weighed/measured her? The charts in the hv red book go up to age 5 I think
Dd had a massive tummy from pre-birth. She's 5 now and it's flat as anything but she's going to be tall. As others have said, it's all those internal organs squished up in a little tum.
Sadly, as there are some massively over-weight children and oblivious parents, it could be wise to do a quick weigh/measure to put your mind at rest

mercibucket · 09/12/2012 22:51

EugenesAxeChoppedDownANiceTree · 09/12/2012 22:55

What milkjet says is right... I remember a very smug ex BF with an insanely low body fat percentage going on about how skimmed milk actually has more vitamin D and all the other nutrients in it than full fat! And I was thinking... 'yeah, but you're not ingesting any fat by which you can absorb it, mate'.

I know of a ~26mo old that's been advised to switch to semi, due to a significant disparity between height and weight centile, but like others have said not advisable and probably not necessary for under 2yo.

capecath · 10/12/2012 14:13

My rather podgy DS was 11kgs at 18 months. A year later and he is only 2kgs heavier, and much taller and leaner! Think it is just a podgy stage, wouldn't worry about it. DS has become a fussier eater and is much more active now - more distracted by play than food! Of course, try to be generally healthy, but don't let it become an obsession, and please don't listen to media hype and peer pressure that is put on poor little kids, especially girls!!

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